Module 3
In Module 3, we took a closer look at the technology centered around composition, especially focusing on DAW's (Digital Audio Workstations). According to Bauer (2014), DAW's are "capable of handling MIDI, digital audio, and loops, allowing the user to record audio, sequence MIDI, edit, mix, add effects, and master" (p. 32). During this unit we worked with a DAW called Soundtrap, a program that looks and functions a lot like Garageband. Soundtrap uses loops, MIDI, and audio recordings to enable users to create compositions quickly and easily.
As a new Soundtrap user, I found it relatively easy to create and edit the loops and add MIDI sounds. My composition, "Endless Blue," is included below.
I believe that Soundtrap and other DAWs like it could be useful in the classroom when teaching about form, timbre, orchestration, and expression. I do appreciate that students are able to add new loops, MIDI files, or recordings and immediately hear how it sounds in the broader context of the composition. This immediate confirmation and trial allows students to hear what their composition will sound like before committing to each choice and makes it easy to edit or delete if they do not like the sound they added.
For the same reason, I also worry that Sountrap and other DAWs like it remove the need for purposeful thought when choosing loops and sounds to include. Students are able to add sounds so easily that they don't actually need a specific idea or musical intent when working on a project. I found this to be the case with my own Soundtrap composition; I began by listening to loops and layering them to see what sounded good. The musical intent was driven by the technology, not the other way around.
During this process, I did find it to be a fascinating experience working with MIDI. I was amazed by the idea that you could use a computer to "play an instrument" and edit the sounds after the initial playing to make them enter and exit at the right time and even change pitch if you are unhappy with the recorded track. Though the sound in the composition sounds just like the real instrument, it was strange to know that those lines had been created from a technical standpoint instead of a wholly musical one. It was also strange to remove the performance and practice from the product when it came to the MIDI lines. In a digital audio recording, you would need to practice a line and perform it perfectly while staying in time, recording it into the composition. MIDI removes the need for practice and performance...in some cases it even removes the need for an actual musical instrument. Many MIDI controllers look and act like real musical instruments (like the piano keybaord) but it is possible for other devices to be used as MIDI controllers (like the computer keyboard in Soundtrap.)
Overall, I believe that technology like Soundtrap, and tools like digital audio and MIDI can aid the composition process but cannot replace the need for traditional composition instruction. Students with no knowledge of musical form, time, and key would not be able to create a cohesive composition using these tools. They can be effectively used as a tool that reinforces musical concepts and provides an easy way for students to be creative at the same time.
References:
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
As a new Soundtrap user, I found it relatively easy to create and edit the loops and add MIDI sounds. My composition, "Endless Blue," is included below.
I believe that Soundtrap and other DAWs like it could be useful in the classroom when teaching about form, timbre, orchestration, and expression. I do appreciate that students are able to add new loops, MIDI files, or recordings and immediately hear how it sounds in the broader context of the composition. This immediate confirmation and trial allows students to hear what their composition will sound like before committing to each choice and makes it easy to edit or delete if they do not like the sound they added.
For the same reason, I also worry that Sountrap and other DAWs like it remove the need for purposeful thought when choosing loops and sounds to include. Students are able to add sounds so easily that they don't actually need a specific idea or musical intent when working on a project. I found this to be the case with my own Soundtrap composition; I began by listening to loops and layering them to see what sounded good. The musical intent was driven by the technology, not the other way around.
During this process, I did find it to be a fascinating experience working with MIDI. I was amazed by the idea that you could use a computer to "play an instrument" and edit the sounds after the initial playing to make them enter and exit at the right time and even change pitch if you are unhappy with the recorded track. Though the sound in the composition sounds just like the real instrument, it was strange to know that those lines had been created from a technical standpoint instead of a wholly musical one. It was also strange to remove the performance and practice from the product when it came to the MIDI lines. In a digital audio recording, you would need to practice a line and perform it perfectly while staying in time, recording it into the composition. MIDI removes the need for practice and performance...in some cases it even removes the need for an actual musical instrument. Many MIDI controllers look and act like real musical instruments (like the piano keybaord) but it is possible for other devices to be used as MIDI controllers (like the computer keyboard in Soundtrap.)
Overall, I believe that technology like Soundtrap, and tools like digital audio and MIDI can aid the composition process but cannot replace the need for traditional composition instruction. Students with no knowledge of musical form, time, and key would not be able to create a cohesive composition using these tools. They can be effectively used as a tool that reinforces musical concepts and provides an easy way for students to be creative at the same time.
References:
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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